In this review series I'll cover some of the latest additions to the ranks of the custom decks from Playing Cards Dot Net. This is a division of Gambler's Warehouse, which has been a part of the playing card industry for over two decades. Not only do they sell a massive amount of playing cards, but they are also involved in crowdfunding and producing custom playing cards.

Today we will first meet the GRID Blackout deck, which uses special UV inks that show up under black light. Then we'll take a look at the goldsmith inspired design of the Bicycle Syndicate deck, before moving to the Hercules deck, which is a delightful homage to a mythical hero, and my favourite of all the decks showcased here!

Grid Blackout deck

The Grid Blackout deck is the latest and last in the series of GRID decks. The first edition was produced in 2012, and was hailed for its modern and minimalist design. A follow-up version of the deck called GRID 2.0 was produced the following year, and used special UV sensitive inks for interesting black light effects, including hidden UV reveals on certain cards.

The original GRID decks were widely appreciated for the unique distinction of having stylish artwork that shows up only under black light. But even without the black light, the design offered a lot to admire, and was the subject of praise. This latest version of this deck, Grid Blackout, also employs UV inks that produce vibrant patches of purple and blue under a UV light, as well as a stylish technology-inspired design that is much like its predecessors.

But unlike the decks that preceded it, the Grid Blackout deck is all about the colour black. That's already obvious from the tuck case, which immediately introduces us to accents of silver foil and stylish black, courtesy of UV spot printing. For extra classiness, the interior is entirely silver foil.

The back design harks back to what made the original GRID deck popular, with a design inspired by a digital world full of vibrant light and circuitry. But unlike the white bordered cards of the previous standard editions, the Grid Blackout deck has cards with black faces. The card backs feature white pattern on the black, which ahs details that pop out under UV light for a very cool effect.

As for the faces, these also feature a black canvas, and a simple white and grey colour scheme is used for the actual designs on the cards.

But all is not what it appears to be, because you only need to place these cards under our black UV light, and you are in for a whole new look, given the use of UV sensitive inks!

It's worth mentioning that unlike the predecessor of this deck, the UV light doesn't reveal hidden lines and details that can't be seen in regular light, which is somewhat of a pity. What glows is the white printing, (not the gray/silver), so there isn't the same level of hidden surprise being revealed as we've seen before in GRID 2.0. Even so, the effect is cool and impresses, and the UV inks do enhance the features and look of the design.

Two Jokers and a couple of extra cards including a double backer bring the total cards to 56. Courtesy of USPCC printing under their Bicycle brand name, the cards handle well, although with black edges you will always see signs of wear quicker than normal. But given the extra features of this deck, it's more of a collector's piece anyway, and will best be enjoyed by the person looking for something unique in their collection.

The intricate details on the pips and borders give this deck added appeal and an original feel. But to be best enjoyed, it really needs a full black light experience to showcase everything it offers. It may be somewhat of a novelty, but isn't that exactly what a lot of our favourite custom decks are exactly about?!

Recommendation

Once again Gambler's Warehouse continues to produce attractive and high quality playing cards. They have a lot of experience in the custom playing card industry, and collaborate with designers by offering fulfilment as well as production of custom decks. Decks like the ones featured in this review series are fine examples of the creative and attractive work they are producing.

Besides producing playing cards, Gambler's Warehouse also sells them at their online retail outlet, Playingcards.net. Here you'll find a wide range of hundreds of quality decks for sale, all of which include free US shipping in the price.

Of the playing cards covered in this review series, the Hercules decks are easily my favourite. I'm especially partial to the striking looks of the face cards in the Bicycle Edition of this deck, which really stand out against the jet black backdrop. The tuck box of the Limited Edition is definitely the most impressive of the two, given the abundance of foil, and these cards are also highly attractive despite the white background. I'm no hero myself, but with the Hercules decks in my pocket, I can console myself that a hero is always close at hand.